The 3 things you need to make it happen
I’ll be honest, I haven’t written a word for any of my books in months…
Which for someone who makes a living showing others how to make their book publishing dreams come true is a leeeetle bit embarrassing.
But here’s why I’m not sweating it:
I know when I commit to a deadline, project or promise, I will turn myself inside and out and go without sleep if I need to to make it happen. My word means something—and it means a lot to me.
I’ve proven to myself time and time again that I can make my own dreams come true by going on what I call sprints—stretches of time that I dedicate to this or that priority and I don’t stop until I reach my goal. Last spring it was my business, this summer it’s been my kids and family, but I’m gearing up to recommit myself to my books and when that happens, everything else will go on the back burner. (Sorry, kids.)
Even when I’m spinning one of my other plates in the air, I’ve always got my eye on my book, I’m constantly thinking about it, dreaming about it, praying about it, walking it out, taking it for drives, dancing it out, singing it out, taking notes for it, looking for it in the world around me—so that when it’s time to sit down and start writing, I already have a bank of content, notes and ideas to pull from (and thus, I avoid the dreaded writer’s block!).
So what can you take from this for your own book or passion project?
Step 1: Commit to a completion date/time. If you don’t schedule it in your calendar, it’ll never happen! (And know that it’s okay to renegotiate a looming deadline—life happens, we learn, grow and evolve. But if you see a pattern of renegotiation in your life you might want to explore what’s underneath that and getting in the way of you and your dreams. What do you keep selling out to? Is it scarcity of time, money, energy? If so, remember that's a mindset as much as anything else--which also means you can shift it.)
Step 2: Build confidence by setting smaller (daily/weekly) goals and meeting them. Learn to trust yourself and that often means prioritizing YOU and your dreams. If you think you’re doing someone a favour by giving up on your dream, think again. Who else stands to gain when you go all the way? Who else is going to be impacted by your book, your story, your legacy and your achievement?
Step 3: Be consistent and don’t disregard all the little steps that it takes to build your dream—including the dreaming part. Like I say to my writers, sometimes writing looks like lying on a couch, staring at a wall. Whatever you can do, whatever you can contribute, day after day, do it. That consistency will turn into momentum, and before you know it, that book will write itself.
The truth is, people get hung up on rules and the craft of writing. Most likely, you’re already a great writer. Rather, what I find that most writers are missing are feedback and accountability. That’s where I come in.
Great writing will only take you so far. Eventually, the only thing that’s going to make an exponential difference in your writing is a feedback partner—be it an editor, coach or your writing community.
But even they can’t write the book for you. Which is where steps 1-3 come in.
Cat xo
PS: If you’re ready for some feedback, accountability and a writing community, join my Passion Project Book Publishing Academy. We’re meeting this week and you don’t want to miss it! Membership goes up July 27 so join now and save while you can! (Trust me, when it comes time to launching your book, you’ll be grateful you invested in networking and community—you’ll need all the help you can get in spreading the word.)